INTEGRAL HEALTH IN PRIESTLY FORMATION: AN EXPERIENCE REPORT OF A MEDICAL INITIATIVE AT THE BRASÍLIA SEMINARY

Letícia Brandão Gonçalves Silva

Todos os Trabalhos

Trabalho

Título do Trabalho

INTEGRAL HEALTH IN PRIESTLY FORMATION: AN EXPERIENCE REPORT OF A MEDICAL INITIATIVE AT THE BRASÍLIA SEMINARY

Autores

Letícia Brandão Gonçalves Silva

Modalidade

Resumo

Área temática

Saúde e Espiritualidade

Data de Publicação

21/08/2026

País da Publicação

Brasil

Idioma da Publicação

pt-BR

Página do Trabalho

https://www.even3.com.br/anais/xxvii-fiamc-world-congress-for-catholic-physicians-abstract-session-688844/1511988-integral-health-in-priestly-formation--an-experience-report-of-a-medical-initiative-at-the-brasilia-seminary

ISBN

978-65-272-2684-0

Palavras-Chave

Preventative Medicine, Clergy Health, Pastoral Care, Health Education

Resumo

Introduction: The rigorous journey of priestly formation and the daily pastoral demands often lead to a sedentary routine, resulting in the inadvertent neglect of physical health—the consequences of which may only manifest decades later. While seminarians are trained to provide pastoral care, their own integral well-being—encompassing physical, mental, and preventative health—must also be addressed. Objective: This experience report describes the implementation and impact of a continuous medical assistance and health education program conducted by MedCAl, a student-led Catholic initiative, at the Brasília Seminary, from January to December 2025, aimed at promoting integral health among seminarians while enriching the ethical and spiritual formation of future physicians. Methods: Coordinated medical students, a multidisciplinary team conducts monthly visits to the seminary. The intervention follows a dual-focus methodology: spiritual/bioethical formation and healthcare assistance. First, missionaries receive deacon-led spiritual formation, with themes collaboratively chosen by the MedCAl coordination and the seminary for the entire year. Following this, the team provides on-demand healthcare, psychological, and nutritional assistance. Additionally, it delivers customized health education lectures based on identified needs. Results: The initiative conducted clinical screenings for the entire cohort of first-year seminarians to identify potential risk factors, ensuring optimal preventative care and long-term health maintenance, as well as continuous nutritional monitoring and on-demand medical guidance to advanced-year seminarians, including those from visiting dioceses residing at the seminary, yielding dozens of annual consultations. Moreover, lectures on human biology, preventative medicine, healthy dietary habits, and physical exercise, addressed topics requested by seminarians. In turn, the deacon responsible for formations offered the medical team continuous bioethical and spiritual insights, linking themes from month to month. This indirect monthly immersion into seminary life, provided many missionaries with their first real understanding of vocational discernment and seminarians’ routine, while granting some seminarians their first structured access to preventative care. Crucially, the shared reality of demanding academic formation and proximity in age acted as a catalyst to bridge the gap between these future healthcare professionals and the seminarians. Conclusion: The partnership between MedCAl and the Brasília Seminary establishes a highly effective model for healthcare delivery in religious communities, especially where the access is difficult. By addressing the specific medical and educational needs of seminarians, the initiative fosters a culture of physical well-being, ensuring that future priests are healthy to serve, while providing the medical team with the experience of caring for those who are the heart of the Church.

Título do Evento: XXVII FIAMC World Congress for Catholic Physicians - ABSTRACT SESSION
Cidade do Evento: Brasília
Título dos Anais do Evento: Proceedings of the XXVII FIAMC World Congress of Catholic Physicians and VI Brazilian Congress of Catholic Physicians
Nome da Editora: Even3
Meio de Divulgação: Meio Digital

Como citar

SILVA, Letícia Brandão Gonçalves. INTEGRAL HEALTH IN PRIESTLY FORMATION: AN EXPERIENCE REPORT OF A MEDICAL INITIATIVE AT THE BRASÍLIA SEMINARY.. In: Proceedings of the XXVII FIAMC World Congress of Catholic Physicians and VI Brazilian Congress of Catholic Physicians. Anais...Brasília(DF) Casa Dom Luciano, 2026. Disponível em: https//www.even3.com.br/anais/xxvii-fiamc-world-congress-for-catholic-physicians-abstract-session-688844/1511988-INTEGRAL-HEALTH-IN-PRIESTLY-FORMATION--AN-EXPERIENCE-REPORT-OF-A-MEDICAL-INITIATIVE-AT-THE-BRASILIA-SEMINARY. Acesso em: 11/09/2026